Abby Wambach is a soccer fan. This two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA World Cup champion, and U.S. women's national soccer team captain has been making headlines for a variety of reasons. She has many accolades to her name and is often cited in the media. But where is she now? How does she fit into the professional women's football world?
Abby Wambach was twice a Olympic gold medalist
Abby Wambach, who scored 31 goals and provided 13 assists in 30 games in 2004, was a rising star. After scoring the winning goal in extra time against Brazil, her performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics earned a gold medal. Abby Wambach will play against China Dec. 16 as part of the World Cup victory tour. Before the World Cup, she stated that she would wait to make an announcement about her Olympic future until after it.
FIFA World Cup Champion
Abby Wambach, FIFA World Cup Champion was the best moment of the tournament. The match was tied in the 122nd minute. This resulted in penalties which were won by the USA. It was voted as the best moment during the tournament in a FIFA poll. The American was overcome by joy, and she cried out in joy. Wambach shouted at her teammates, "Score inside 10 minutes." She then kicked the ball towards the back of the net.
U.S. women's national football team captain
Mary Abigail Wambach (ex-American soccer player, coach, and member of National Soccer Hall of Fame) is a former American Soccer player. She was a six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award. Wambach was a regular for the U.S. women's national team from 2003 to 2015, earning her first cap in 2001.
Angel City was founded by the founder
Abby Wambach (an Olympian who was born in Rochester) is the founder of the new women’s soccer club. Wambach is a founding investor and the first woman to hold a majority ownership position in the NWSL. Wambach's first connection to the team was made after she attended Time's Up in Los Angeles and saw that there wasn't a woman's team.
Investment in women's soccer
It's a positive development that recent investments have been made in women’s soccer. One quarter of FIFA member clubs do not have an established senior women's team. Even Pakistan is one of these countries, even though it played little competitive soccer prior the 2015 Women's World Cup. Mauritania has been playing its first official match in Spain since July 2016, after having invested more than $100,000 into women's soccer.